Drive belts may be tensioned or replaced by moving the drive motor or another axial drive point to apply tension to the drive belt. This method can result in injuries when an operator's fingers are caught and/or pinched. In the oil industry, oil field pump jacks employ an oil field pump jack motor and a drive belt to power the pump jack. Over time these heavy duty drive belts become slack due to overuse, stretching, vibrations, heat and poor tension. Moreover, there is a need to alleviate the issues with belts slipping do to operating during wet conditions resulting in burnt belts that need to be replaced. Therefore, operators must be onsite at an oil field pump jack for regular belt tensioning adjustments and drive belt replacements.
Therefore, a drive belt tensioning device is needed that affords convenient and safe methods for applying reliable and consistent chive belt tension and for safely and quickly replacing worn drive belts.